


I'm Home

by neon



Series: Florist & Merc AU [3]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, F/M, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:14:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24913687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neon/pseuds/neon
Summary: Aerith is a florist. Cloud is a mercenary. (AU, Established Relationship)One monster down, and one thousand gil richer. Cloud headed home.It was dark when he pulled his bike up to the property. The lamps in the garden outside had come on; the windows of the house were framing what light was shining within. Cloud cut Fenrir's engine. The sound of cicadas re-flooded the night air. He sat still for a moment, hands curled by the tops of his thighs, feeling for the first time in the past couple of days no urgency to move. He just breathed.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Series: Florist & Merc AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1798867
Comments: 8
Kudos: 45





	I'm Home

**Author's Note:**

> The initial set-up for this cottagecore AU is:  
> \- Most main events in canon never happened, or never involved Cloud or Aerith.  
> \- Aerith is still a Cetra, but no one ever discovers that exact fact, including her.  
> \- Cloud and Aerith live in the same house as Aerith's in FF7R, but it's not in Sector 5.  
> \- Cloud and Aerith are in a relationship.  
> \- Aerith is a florist.  
> \- Cloud is a mercenary.

One monster down, and one thousand gil richer. Cloud headed home.

It was dark when he pulled his bike up to the property. The lamps in the garden outside had come on; the windows of the house were framing what light was shining within. Cloud cut Fenrir's engine. The sound of cicadas re-flooded the night air. He sat still for a moment, hands curled by the tops of his thighs, feeling for the first time in the past couple of days no urgency to move. He just breathed.

He eventually did move, inside, immediately scuffing his boot on the floorboard when he was attempting to be quiet. Aerith wasn’t down in the kitchen. It was pretty late. She might’ve been sleeping. Cloud balanced his sword gingerly inside the door, lowered into a chair to remove his boots at the kitchen table, where Aerith had set a vase with a flower. The flower was a… zinnia, Cloud slowly recalled.

The chairleg caught on the floor when he stood. Finding its footing again with a solid _thunk_ _._ Cloud narrowed his eyes at it.

"Upstairs!" Aerith called.

Cloud grabbed the banister of the spiral staircase and climbed until the second floor.

The bathroom door was ajar and beyond it he could hear the sound of water lapping. He eased the door all the way open by pushing on it with his spread hand, feeling the wash of humid air.

Dammit, Cloud thought. He stepped inside the room where she was soaking in the bathtub. A white clawfoot tub pushed center at one wall, sitting among the different bottles of soap and the pile of Aerith’s clothes on the woven rug next to it. The sight of Aerith uncovered the loneliness he’d had buried on the job. 

"I’m home," Cloud announced, a hint of emotion seeping through like a bassline melody, and hopefully, like one, only being heard when it was specifically listened for.

"Welcome home," Aerith replied, airy and fond. Cloud found handholds on each side of the tub, bending at the waist to greet her with a kiss.

When they parted their eyes met with twin looks that read, _Too nice to stop._ So Cloud knelt next to one side of the tub to get more comfortable, to keep kissing Aerith in a slow and easy way. When they parted the second time, Cloud’s look flickered down to Aerith in the bath. Her shining wet skin, and the soap and water that clung to the upper curves of her breasts.

"How’d it go?" she asked.

Cloud blinked back up. He used the edge of the tub to pull himself up so he was standing.

"Fine."

He stepped over to the sink, opening the faucet with a quick twist of the handle. He bent to splash his face over the basin. He rummaged in the cupboard for a cloth to wipe his arms and shoulders down with, while he was there.

"Details!" Aerith whined.

"That’ll cost you." The wet cloth slapped on the sink’s edge when Cloud was through.

"I think you’re being compensated plenty right now." Cloud turned around, to face her still reclining in the bath. His eyes lowered, glancing down and to the side, and he had to agree, _Mmm._

"Really not much to tell. There was a monster. I killed it. The end."

He reached for his ears and took out the silver studs. He pulled at the ends of the belts holding the cape around his waist to loosen the buckles, started working on the strap attached to his pauldron.

"Well, I’ve heard worse endings." Aerith cradled her hands below the water’s surface, then raised them full of water.

Cloud looked up at the mirror and suddenly admired her innate elegance. Even in as small a move as that. Elegance was also in the slope of her neck and shoulders, the lines of her lashes against her cheeks. Aerith lifted her gaze and watched him looking.

"Will you wash my hair?" she asked.

Cloud slid the buckle's prong free to finish unstrapping the pauldron. He set it on top of the cape folded haphazardly on a stool, next to the pair of earrings.

"Alright."

Aerith grinned, buoying momentarily before gliding down the inside of the tub to dip her head. She came back up with barely a splash, releasing her held breath.

Cloud gathered a wash bucket, a brush, a bottle of homemade shampoo Aerith had concocted using her flowers as an ingredient. He squeezed a dollop into his palm, rubbed his hands together, then began carding his fingers through her hair, starting at the roots. He massaged her temple while he was at it. Aerith hummed, appreciative.

He had to admit to himself: he loved Aerith's hair. Loved when she took it down out of her regular braid. His fingers combed through the loose waves that were darker brown from being damp. He continued, gathering the ends and lifting them, working the shampoo into a lather to hold her hair against her head.

He pushed gently behind her shoulder. "Lean forward."

Aerith settled into a curved position, holding her knees above water in front of her chest. Cloud dipped the wash bucket into the tub to fill and pour water over her head, with a warning, "Eyes." She readjusted, bringing her fingers to cover her eyes pinched shut as protection from the suds.

As he rinsed her hair, the bubbles around her started to wash away and the water cleared. Cloud could see her then. His glance followed the line of her back down to where she sat on the tub’s bottom.

"Um… Whatcha doing back there?"

He’d paused with the bucket halfway in the air again for a final rinse. He lowered it instead, setting it on the floor where it puddled.

"Looking at your ass."

_I can’t believe you._ "Can you focus?"

"Sorry. Been too long since I’ve seen it."

"It’s been three days, mister."

"Yeah, like I said."

He inched forward on his heels, ended up straddling the roundest side of the tub behind Aerith. When he laid his hands to her, she quietly took a long, expanding inhale that unconsciously pushed her into his hands more. He dragged one of his touches lower and kissed the bend of her shoulder, while his hand cupped over her soft breast. She stretched her neck, humming so pleased.

"…I missed you."

Cloud rubbed his fingertips across her nipple, very lightly. She didn’t like to be pinched; this was how she liked to be touched there. She moaned, sinking lower into the water before shimmying back up. She shivered when Cloud’s exhales blew over her wet skin.

She grabbed his hand, rubbing her thumb over his knuckles. And pulled his hand from her breast, down her stomach, to settle between her legs.

Cloud rocked slightly into the edge of the tub as he was made to reach. He made a small adjustment to his balance. More comfortable, he could press his fingers flat to the skin above her lowest divide. Rubbing it, stretching it, before following the curve down, longest finger leading inward.

Aerith’s hands grasped the tub’s sides, clenching then unclenching. She gasped, quietly. Cloud groaned at the first plunge, too.

It wasn’t long when Aerith pulled at his wrist though. He slipped his fingers out and she slipped out of his reach, complaining, _The water’s too_ wet- He knew what she meant - the water had been making his trails across her clit too slick. No friction.

Aerith stood from the tub and stepped out of it, naked before him.

Her long hair plastered to her skin; her breasts; the water dripping down her legs; the shade of dark pink spreading down into dark curls. Cloud swallowed. He was struck stupid by the sight of her. He hadn’t noticed when she’d crowded him to angle away from the tub and give her that room.

Her arms braced with her hands next to his hips by the floor. He dropped his head to one side, whining from the back of his throat, when she dragged the back of her wrist between his legs. His next blink was a flutter. She said, amazed, "You’re _so_ pretty."

"Aerith…"

She was distracted though, pulling on the zipper of his sleeveless tank to part and push it off. He reached himself for the belt on his pants, hissed from tightening the strap to loosen the buckle, sighed at it slipping free. Repeated those noises when he slid his pants down from his waist. Aerith tugged them the rest of the way off, pulling by the legs.

She was still right up in Cloud’s space, above him, looking down. His cock stood flush to his stomach, bobbing rhythmically with the slow swell and fall of each of his breaths. Aerith ran her hands down his muscles, biting her lip before releasing her next breath, small _whoosh_. Cloud felt his neck flush from the attention.

She tugged him toward the rug in the middle of the floor, that he made a questioning noise at, that she answered to with a nod. "Right here - right now."

There was a glint to her eyes. Despite the blush stain on his skin, he liked pulling forth this side of her - no more playful teasing. Just her stubborn want.

In a flash he took her steady by the backs of her arms, surprising her, _Oh!_ He reversed them, her on her back, him above her.

He heard how husky his own voice was getting. How desperate he was to please.

"Whatever you want."

"I want you _inside me_ , Cloud." Arousal hit Cloud hard, almost leaving him breathless. "We need a condom."

He swayed to his feet and to the bedroom, yanking open a drawer of the vanity. He returned, dropping down to his knees again and tearing the package open. She waited while he rolled the condom on. Her fingers were brushing up and down his thighs as he did. He edged closer, lining up. She reached out to touch his abdomen again and he faintly felt the gardening calluses on the surfaces of her fingers.

He pushed in, mouth dropping open, arousal spiking as he looked down and watched himself sink between her legs. She was so wet, he slipped in further than he’d aimed. She was wet, but that didn’t mean he didn’t look up, checking, "Okay?"

_Mm… mm-hm_. Her eyes were pinched closed. Her hands, laying near her shoulders, slowly folded and unfolded. Cloud paused. She was tough, but she didn't have to be for this. He lowered onto his elbows, and nosed hesitantly along her cheek. He slid his lips to hers. Aerith made an appreciative noise, tiny nod when they parted.

He pulled back a bit, before pushing in a little more. Out, and a little more. He only wanted to make Aerith moan. Not whimper. He seemed to be doing an okay job, then, from the sounds of it.

He felt her roundly bump against his inner thighs. He’d sunk completely inside her.

He would never get over the feeling of her. The fit, the heat, the softness. That this was something he even got to have. That she was someone he even got to be this near to.

"…Cloud? Hey, Cloud… look at me."

There was pink color blooming across her chest. Her mouth was small and parted. Her eyes were so green, full of more emotion than Cloud recognized. All being aimed at him.

She caressed his face, brushing some of the longer pieces of his hair around his ears. Her hand slid to grasp at his shoulder, as he stopped messing around. Started thrusting with controlled power.

He pressed his thumb to her clit, too.

"Ah - ah!" She circled her hand around his wrist. "Slower - slower." Just his hand she wanted slow - a counterpoint. Worth doing, for the way it made her roll to seek his hand or his hips when she started liking the feeling of one too much and wanted to keep herself clinging to the edge of orgasm. She couldn’t hold on very long, though.

When she came, she smiled. Her thighs shook, bumping up against both sides of Cloud’s waist, before shuddering tight on it. He brushed her nipple again through it. Her head rolled against the rug, hair sprawling around her, and she bit her curved lips. Showing a deeply satisfied expression.

Cloud grunted, with a wince on his face, as he was squeezed on all sides. Her hand he felt on his face again, shivering like the rest of her at another full-body ripple. One he felt pass through her and into him, and that did it.

He panted - they panted, before he, with a small grunt of effort, pulled out. He tied off the condom, squeezing his shaking hands first to gain function of them back. He shifted fluidly then to lay beside her. He dropped his hand on his stomach.

Aerith turned her head when he did, mirroring him, except for her smile curling like a cat's. Hell, Cloud didn’t know - he might have been smiling too just then. She stretched to kiss him, with his hand still on himself but rising to feel her bangs sweep across his knuckles when she shifted back to place.

She turned on her side facing him with arms folded by her head, and her cheek pressed on the back of her hands pushed flat together. Her hair stuck up in the back a little. He didn’t know if she realized the rub together of her thighs as she looked at him. He felt his face warm up again.

"Missed you, too," she declared. Cloud chuffed. Quietly humored, and pleased. She grinned in kind. "You’re so good to me."

Cloud silently considered her. She noticed, curious wondering raising one of her eyebrows. He didn’t know what to say - she deserved it. She deserved whatever from him.

"…That’s my line." She giggled, tension he’d unintentionally caused broken.

She sat up and twisted to reach a hand over the edge of the tub and touch the water. It must have become cold, because she tugged the drain plug, then refilled the tub.

She held onto Cloud by his wrists, pulling his, now that he’d caught on to her intent, purposely limp and deadweight arms, futilely. Cloud took pity on her and got up with a smirk.

He settled quietly at her urging, in the tub with her behind him, washing him down this time.

The water after days without a proper cleaning up was nice. The feeling of her pressed firmly along his back was nice. So was the presence of her everywhere, throughout the room and throughout the house, when her absence had been acute on the road. It... was nice.

Aerith set her chin on his shoulder and said, "Glad you’re back."

He was glad to be home.

**Author's Note:**

> @highfivestrife (nsfw) if you want to witness my obsession with FF7R


End file.
